Mezzo Grill brings American fusion to city; set to open its doors June 28

Published
12:00 am EDT, Tuesday, June 15, 2010

HILLARY FEDERICO, Press Staff

MIDDLETOWN -- Months ago, Connecticut residents William Fox, David Maurice and Stephen Till racked their brains through about 70 different names before landing on the perfect one for their restaurant -- Mezzo Grille.

In Latin, the word "mezzo" can be roughly translated to mean "middle" or "half," a quality which did not go unnoticed by the trio.

"We wanted to be in the middle of the action," Till, a resident of Huntington, said. "And since we're in Middletown, the name just fit."

The restaurant is divided into three parts: a main dining area for lunch and dinner, an outside patio with a stage for live music and an upstairs nightclub and lounge area. There is also a cigar balcony on the upper level overlooking the outside patio.

"We wanted to be looked at as more than just a main dining room," Till said. "We want Mezzo to touch all the senses. The food, the music; everything is designed to be a true destination experience."

Part of that "experience" is a result of an eclectic menu of what Till calls American-fusion cuisine. According to Till, these entrees, which include Kobe beef and lobster sliders, combine eastern and western cuisine.

"We won't be pigeonholed into just Italian food or just American food," Till said. "I think that fusion element is what makes us different from anyone else."

Aside from the customary meals of chicken and beef, the restaurant is also said to have bragging rights to the largest veal porterhouse in the state.

Originally the brainchild of Fox, Mezzo Grille is now a concerted joint effort between the three men: Till and Maurice serve as general managers while Fox inhabits the role of owner.

"It is both frightening and exciting to open up a new restaurant," Fox said. "I mean, you look down Main Street and there is obviously a lot of competition. But the idea was to bring extra people into the town, not just take customers away from other businesses."

Fox, the owner of Rookie's Sports Bar & Grille in Cromwell, is no stranger to the restaurant business. He said he came upon Mezzo Grille's current location nearly eight years ago when it was still a garage.

"I saw it and thought that it would be the perfect place for a restaurant," he said. "Only I didn't have the money to buy it."

But after the collapse of the building's previous restaurant, the Fishbone Café, Fox had his chance. Teaming up with Maurice, a beer wholesaler at F&F Distributers, and Till, the general manager of the Hartford Club, Fox's vision has become a reality.

Utilizing their own personal expertise, the three men decided on the unique layout and fresh menu items to be served at Mezzo. They also worked in tandem to select the distinctive accoutrements adorning the walls, bar area and outside patio.

One distinctive element is the nearly-10-foot paneled video screen hovering over the inner bar. It has the capability of showcasing nine different images or one single image.

"During the day we will probably show more images but at night we may show anything from music videos to movies," Till said.

Out of 285 applications, the men have also recently hired a staff to wait on and cook for customers.

"There was such a huge response," Fox said. "Literally, lines of people were out the door for days."

Out of the 35 new hires, the executive chef, Steve Treadow Jr., previously worked as a chef at the Mohegan Sun casino.

"I'd like to think we picked the best of the best," Till said.

Mezzo Grille is scheduled to open to the public on Monday, June 28, with its grand opening scheduled for the weekend following July 4.

"We're chomping at the bit now," Maurice said. "We're just ready to open."

Mezzo Grille is located at 106 Court St., just off Main Street in Middletown.